Sports Integrity Briefs – 7 March 2019

• Luca Mazzoni, goalkeeper with Serie B club Livorno, has been provisionally suspended after returning an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, after Lecce’s 3-2 victory over Livorno on 17 February. The provisional suspension was announced by Italy’s national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia).

• The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that Herman Tsinga, a player in the Gabonese First Division, collapsed and died during Akanda FC’s 2-1 victory over Missile FC on Saturday 2 March. ‘According to The Union, neither of the two ambulances at the scene had the defibrillator or oxygen mask necessary “to save the life of the player”’, read a CAF statement.

• The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) has adjourned a hearing into Dr. Richard Freeman, who formerly worked with British Cycling and Team Sky, to be considered by a new Tribunal at a later date. ‘The case will be referred back to the MPTS for relisting’, read an email from the MPTS. ‘We believe it is in the public interest, and the interest of everybody involved in a case, for hearings to be completed as quickly as possible. We will be working with the parties to relist this hearing at the earliest opportunity.’ A spokesperson from the General Medical Council (GMC) wrote in an email: “It is frustrating that this case has not yet got underway. We remain ready to open our case in public and hope we will be permitted to do so as soon as possible.”

• The International Swimming League (ISL) has appointed five time world champion Adam Peaty as an Ambassador. Peaty will lead the London team, one of eight competing in the ISL, which has been launchd despite opposition from the international swimming federation (FINA). FINA has allowed athletes to participate in the ISL without sanctioning them, however has clarified that it will not recognise any results in competitions that have not sought approval from FINA. In December, an ISL event was cancelled as it was considered ‘non-approved’ by the Italian swimming federation.

• Former Adidas Executive Jim Gatto has been sentenced to nine months in prison, whilst co-worker Merl Code and aspiring National Basketball Association (NBA) agent Christian Dawkins have each received six month sentences, reports the Washington Post. The three were convicted of wire fraud in October, after being charged in April last year with arranging payments to the families of six student basketball athletes.

• Robert Snodgrass of West Ham United has been charged with abusing UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) officials that arrived at the Premier League club’s training ground on 6 February, England’s Football Association (FA) announced. Snodgrass has been given until 18 March to respond to the charge.